By using an imaging system to monitor a medical procedure, a medical practitioner can more accurately determine and control the progress of the procedure through visual inspection of the area of treatment. In non-invasive procedures, for example, an imaging endoscope enables the medical practitioner to examine the area of treatment while the medical procedure is in progress. For instance, during lithotripsy, a non-invasive procedure for the treatment of stones that typically form in the kidney, bladder, ureters, or gallbladder, a medical device (e.g., a lithotriptor) is used to provide pulses of focused, high-intensity shock waves (e.g., pressure waves) and/or electromagnetic radiation (e.g., laser) to break up the stones. By using an imaging endoscope within the medical device, a medical practitioner can locate the stones and aim or target the treatment effectively at the place where the stones are located. Moreover, the medical practitioner can monitor the progress of the stone fragmentation and adjust the procedure (e.g., intensity, frequency) accordingly.
The intense pulses produced by the medical device, however, can affect the operation of an imaging sensor in the imaging endoscope. For example, when sufficient back-scattered energy (e.g., electromagnetic radiation) strikes the imaging sensor during treatment, the timing of certain circuitry within the imaging sensor can be disrupted, affecting the quality of the video output. Moreover, back-scattered energy can saturate many of the sensing elements (e.g., pixels) in the imaging sensor, which also affects the quality of the video output. A reduced video output quality can limit the ability of the medical practitioner to effectively locate and/or treat the stones.
Thus, a need exists for an imaging system that can be used in medical procedures and that reduces and/or offsets the effects of energy pulses on the quality of the video output.